The origin of the hammock and the only authentic place in the world where the product is produced using the oldest know manufacturing technique: thread tying upon wood lattices. Yucatan, the birthplace of the modern hammock, is known amongst their Gods as: K'AAN. Yucataan is conscious of its social responsibilites. A characteristic of such is the support it gives to many small native Mayan communites in the countryside of the Yucatan Peninsula.
The Mayan Indians. This advanced culture which
produced the most accurate calendar, the Mayan calendar, built architecturally
exquisite pyramids and stone palaces, created their own writing system, and were
extraordinary astronomers and mathematicians, also designed a web-like hammock which is
still in use today and considered to be the most ingenious and comfortable of all hammocks.Although the exact origin of the hammock is desputed, it is believed that the Maya resourced technologies which root from Egypt. A calculation dated to the Athenian statesman
Alcibiades (c. 450–404 BC), a student of the Greek philosopher
Socrates states that he was verse with the use of the hammock.
The earliest hammocks were woven from the bark of the Hamak tree. The Sisal plant
{similar in looks to an Aloe Vera plant} later replaced the bark as the material of choice for
the hammock because it was more
abundant, and its fibers could be softened by rubbing them against the
thigh. The use of cotton in these original hammocks is a relatively new
material adopted only in the last 50 - 60 years!
Because of the extensive trade routes which were established between
the Indian nations of Central and South America, the hammock naturally
found its way into the heart and home of millions of natives. Hammocks
were soon being made from indigenous fabrics and materials which
resulted in a multitude of styles, which have evolved to the classic
cloth/fabric hammock, typical of Brazil, and cord and rope hammocks
similar to today's styles.
Shortly after Columbus dropped anchor in the "New World" hoping to find shiploads of
gems, spices and fine silks he found, instead, a load of natives of the Bahamas lounging in
hammocks for their afternoon siesta and demonstrating their genetically superior disdain
for time! Columbus decided to take a load of hammocks back to Europe with him, along with
the few gold trinkets he was given {which would ultimately create the first gold rush in the
new world and be the beginning of the end of many great nations}, probably to substitute for
the lack of other "Eastern treasures". Soon, many European sailors, particularly the
British and the French, found the hammocks very useful and practical for sleeping at sea.
The Europeans generally utilized canvas cloth for their hammocks, which the Navy
used for three centuries. These naval hammocks, unlike their predecessors, were
small, sweaty and cramped - each sailor was allowed about 4 inches in width!
During battle engagements, the hammocks were rolled up in tight bundles and jammed into
racks on the ship's gunwales as protection against small arms fire. A few bullet holes were
probably welcome ventilation to the sailors!
